The Albany Gazette - Mahomes, Mayfield prepare for duel as Chiefs, Bucs clash

The reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs host the Bucs at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday as the last unbeaten team in the league after moving to 7-0 with a hard-fought divisional win over the Las Vegas Raiders last week.

They will be facing a Tampa Bay side whose momentum has stalled in recent weeks, with three defeats in their last four games leaving them with a 4-4 record in the NFC South.

The Chiefs, however, will be wary that for all of Tampa Bay's recent struggles, the Bucs offense continues to pose a threat, averaging just under 30 points a game this season.

For the Chiefs' gunslinging quarterback Mahomes and Bucs counterpart Mayfield, it is the latest instalment of a good-natured rivalry that stretches back to their college days.

Mahomes and Mayfield combined in a wild college football showdown in 2016 that saw Mayfield's University of Oklahoma take down Mahomes and Texas Tech University in a clash that finished 66-59 to the Sooners.

Mayfield threw for an incredible seven touchdowns and 545 yards in that victory, while Mahomes, not to be outdone, finished with five touchdowns and 734 passing yards, 85 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

"We had to score every single drive in the second half to win that game," Mayfield has said.

"It was an unbelievable game and unbelievable atmosphere. Just the back and forth is something that I will not forget."

Mahomes, meanwhile, recalled being told by a team-mate during the game "You have 77 pass attempts right now."

"I was like, 'Man, that's a lot of passes,'" said Mahomes, who would finish with 52 completions from 88 attempts.

- 'I care about wins' -

Mayfield and Mahomes' careers have diverged since entering the professional ranks of the National Football League.

Mahomes has gone on to establish himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, winning three Super Bowls in four appearances, while Mayfield has only reached the postseason twice in seven seasons.

Mayfield was traded by the Cleveland Browns in 2022 after the franchise swooped for Deshaun Watson, and failed to establish himself during stints with Carolina and the Los Angeles Rams, before arriving in Tampa Bay in 2023.

The 29-year-old has flourished in Florida, and leads the NFL this season with 21 touchdown passes. Mayfield though says the only stat that matters is the wins and losses column.

"I care about wins," Mayfield said Thursday. "We've had success in the pass game but we're just trying to find ways to win.

"I think there's a lot of plays that probably some of those stats should be better, but the one stat that should be better is wins and that's what I'm focused on."

In other highlights this weekend, the Detroit Lions (6-1) face an NFC North divisional battle with the Green Bay Packers (6-2) on Sunday while in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) host the Denver Broncos, who have an identical 5-3 record after eight games.

The struggling Dallas Cowboys (3-4) meanwhile head to the Atlanta Falcons (5-3) desperate to kickstart their season after an abject defeat to San Francisco last week that has left "America's Team" sliding firmly into full-blown crisis territory.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, who this season has thrown almost as many interceptions (eight) as touchdowns (10), admitted on Thursday that the Falcons game had taken on must-win dimensions if the Cowboys are to make a run for the playoffs.

"Hell, to me every game is (must-win) but obviously 3-4, as I’ve said, a lot of season left," Prescott said.

"But the first start to be able to say that confidently is getting back even, especially having a couple of home ones after that."

(E.Taylor--TAG)